Problem Child
by CaBu12
Summary: Rye spends the night at Snotlout's home after a tiresome day of mishaps only to find herself reliving a rather upsetting past memory. Can Snot help her sort her feelings out, maybe without even realizing it? NO SPOILERS.


**Note** : Hey guys! I just wanted to upload a little something for the end of the year, since I've been so lazy all year long. Anyway, this story is a 'Rye Special'! Written for my best friend/muse's birthday, I thought it would be nice to upload it.

This story may be a little confusing for those who have not read Unnecessary Culture Shock to where it has been left off. This is kinda intended for those who have so if you are interested and have the time, it'd be lovely if you could stop down. :)

So, this little short story happens to take place between the chapters (second arc) thirty four and thirty seven. To be more specific; its the night when Rye shares the evening at Snotlout's home... _alone_. Its a bit about her past love interest with a different character and her current relationship Snot. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy! As you already know, I adore you all and you guys have ALWAYS been my number one support. Happy holidays and I hope I get to write to you all before the new year starts.

* * *

" _I threw a wish in the well, don't ask me, I'll never tell. I looked to you as it fell, and now you're in my way. I'd trade my soul for a wish, pennies and dimes for a kiss. I wasn't looking for this, but now you're in my way."-_ Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen.

* * *

Problem Child

How could so many bad things happen in such a short time period? From Dagur coming to the island, to Dagur 'taking possession' of her younger sister, to being forced out of her own home (the one she built!) to finally the 'terrible awful' that happened earlier in the week.

Even though having Dagur come to Berk and lay claim over her sister was the worst thing to happen since Hea leaving in the first place, why was the 'terrible awful' the main thing on her mind at the moment. Did that make her a bad person or even sister to be thinking of such a selfish thing right now?

All she could recall was the moment, the conversation she'd had with _him_.

About how kind he'd been when he told her 'no' and about how he tried his best to give her advice she could use for the future. It _sounded_ like advice anyway, even though it was everything she didn't want to hear in the moment and even still in _this_ moment.

Even the look of sadness in his eyes when she confessed her deepest feelings was enough to still break her heart. Things were going well in the beginning or so she thought when it was happening anyway. Then when she began to tell him the truth and explain how she really felt, his look, expression and features all changed. How someone could look so happy one second than so sad in the next was still amazing to witness. That sudden shift that let her know she was going all wrong so fast.

And how was she supposed to feel afterward? With him around? Like nothing happened and pretend to be okay when she obviously wasn't? Sure, she was an adult and she was supposed to carry on like she was strong but the truth was…she _wasn't._

She had to be strong for Hea. And in the end she also had to be strong for _him_. It wouldn't be fair if at the end of her hard day to complain about anything when nothing, in the long run, happened to her. She needed to hold a strong front; she couldn't let anyone know how much she was actually hurting.

Just like she had back then. When she was hurting years ago. Although the hurt back then was physical rather than emotional.

Compared to back then this hurt so much more. Was it because it was her heart that was broken and not her skin burnt? Who knew that heartache would ever out hurt and weigh the pain of a second degree burn? At least there was relief from her burn during the night when she was in a deep sleep (brought on by a number of herbs and teas of course) but this, even in her dreams there wasn't much of a break from her feelings.

She even _dreamed_ of him.

Dreamed of him telling her, _'I'm sorry'_.

How was she supposed to deal with this? When there was no one to talk to? It wasn't like there was much of a point in telling Hea at this point. Not with the stress she was already dealing with.

When was it her turn to have a break down? When would it be her time to be supported by others, the way Hiccup gave support and love to Hea?

"So this is where you will be sleeping."

Rye felt her world come a stop at the sound of Spitelout's voice. She gave her noggin a good shake or two before allowing her eyes to focus at her current surroundings. Sure, she'd been inside Snotlout's house before but she'd never seen the basement, where the younger male had claimed it to be his own personal 'bachelor pad'.

"We have some extra blankets and pillows in the storage area," Spite continued, the larger man making his way around her and to the mess of clothes and other fabrics that littered the ground. "I'll make sure you're comfortable, okay? Nothing is too good for our guest." He then proceeded to kick the pile of cloths and clothes to one side.

 _Very gentleman-like I see._

"Thanks." Rye glanced up to Snotlout's father and flashed a quick smile. "But you don't have to go out of your way for me, it's not like I'm really a guest. We've known each other for years!"

The older man fisted his hands to his hips, "It's no problem really. Besides it's the least I could do for the girl Snot likes the most! He's gone through a number of crushes with the other girls but you're always been his _favorite_."

"Dad!"

Snotlout had said _she_ was his favorite? Why did that make the blood rush from her heart to her cheeks so suddenly? Sure she was well aware that the younger boy had some sort of affection for her but to hear it out loud from his _father_ was something different.

Right on schedule, Snotlout appeared from behind his father with a number of thick duck-down blankets in his arms. The same redness on her face reflected on his, making his features stand out in the darkness of the room.

 _Aw, he's kinda cute._

"Come on Snot, bring the comforters here. Rye's going to have your bed. You'll be fine on the floor for tonight." His dad released his arm from his hip and with a single swoop or his hand, urged his son forward.

"What?" The young man slouched forward, nearly dropping the blankets in the process. "I have to sleep on the ground? That's no fair. Whenever Tuffnut stays the night, he gets the floor why can't Rye sleep there too?"

Oh very nice. So she was on the same level as _Tuffnut_? So much for him being cute.

"Snot!" The roar of Spitelout's voice made both girl and boy flinch. "You know better than to treat Rye like that. She's a _lady_. She needs to be treated like one. Understand?"

The heir to the 'Lout family shrunk twice in size. "Yes sir."

"Now, dinner should be ready soon." Spitelout relaxed his voice as well as his stature and stepped around his son until he reached the exiting door. "You two will probably stay most of the night alone, I want to have a short meeting with the village elders before the day is through. Can I trust you two alone together?"

"What's not to trust?" Snot bypassed the doorway and made his way to the larger bed in the center of the room.

" _Snotlout_." Even the sound of his father's voice sent shivers down Rye's spine.

"We'll be _fine_." His son bit back in a whiny tone. "You worry too much! Plus you're totally embarrassing me in front of my lady."

"Rye, is this alright with you?" Instead of paying his kin any mind, Spite turned to her.

With both sets of eyes on her and her alone, she felt the hairs on her arms stand upright. Why did he have to ask her such a question in front of his own kid? It wasn't like she really had a say in what was going to happen. She didn't have a _choice_ in where she was going to stay after all. The choices were pretty limited as of right now.

' _Cause there's no way in hell I'm going to stay with the twins._

"It's fine." The ends of her lips tilted upward in the most awkward fake smile she'd ever felt herself make.

"Dinner is over the flame in the fireplace." The elder turned away from both teens and walked through the doorframe whilst still giving out instructions. "Help yourselves; I'll get something to eat at the Mead Hall. Don't stay up too late either."

"Good night dad!" While allowing the blankets in his arms to plop down to the bed that would be hers for the night, Snot waved a single time.

"Good night and thank you Spitelout." Rye lifted her right hand to her lips, calling out to the older male.

"'Night!"

The front door slammed shut, the echo and vibration from both actions making Rye weak in the knees. What about this situation made her so uneasy? There had to be more to her instinct than just being nervous about staying a night away from her own bed. Was it the fact that she was missing Hea again or that Dagur was more than likely drinking from her cups and walking on her floors?

It couldn't be the 'terrible awful' that was still getting to her, was it?

" _Rye, I understand what you're saying but…"_

She shuddered. Those words, that voice, she didn't _want_ to remember any of it.

"So what are we gonna do now?" The sound of a very different voice made her stiffen. She turned and glanced over her shoulder to see the boy falling backwards onto the bed. "It's too late to go out and hang out with the others and it's too early to sleep."

"What about that dinner your dad was talking about?" Rye lifted her right hand to her face and pushed up her spectacles. "That should waste some time plus aren't you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry." He pursed both lips and extended his arms into the air in a rather cat-like stretch. "Okay I guess. I wonder what he left us anyway."

"Only one way to find out."

His arms dropped back to the mattress with a soft thud before he sat upright and looked her straight in the eyes. "Would you like me to set up a fancy romantic dinner table for us?" His voice rumbled in his throat almost as if he were purring at her.

 _What's up with all these cat references?!_

A burst of heat hit her face while her fingertips went icy cold. Why did he insist on talking in the kind of tone? And say those types of things?! It wasn't like she could say 'no' to a face and voice like that. Not only was it almost appealing, putting her on the spot like that was enough to get her to do almost anything.

While straightening out her back to the fullest and turning a slight tad to the right as to not face him she cleared her throat. "A regular dinner is fine. Like I told your dad, you don't have to go out of your way or anything."

"Oh no, it would be my _pleasure_."

 _Dammit Snot!_

With her face still burning hot, turned from him even further. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"You know get some flowers, the _fancy_ apple cider and maybe light a candle." The creaking of the bed made all of her senses go numb, was he getting off the bed to come _closer_ to her?!

She whipped her chin over her shoulder once again only to get a glance of him stepping in her direction. "Do whatever! I'm just hungry!" Her hand jerked over her the right side of her face, fingers brushing over the heat of her blush.

"Okay!" He sounded rather energetic all of a sudden. "Do you have any flowers in your garden we can pick? Maybe a dozen roses or so?"

Pick _her_ flowers? Her _babies_?! No way! After all of the blood, sweat and tears she put into growing and nurture her darling buds he just wanted to end their lives by _plucking_ them from their lifeblood? No, no, no! Her flowers, and all flowers for that matter, were living things! They didn't deserve to be picked just for human amusement!

"No!" She snapped, yanking her hand from her face. "I can't stand it when people pick flowers! Their living creatures too, it's mean to just kill them."

"Okay, okay!" His hands shot up in defense. "I won't touch your stupid flowers. Relax."

"They aren't stupid!" She barked beyond her control. Did she just start an argument with the one guy that treated her better than all the rest? Crap.

But he _did_ say her flowers were stupid. It was just a natural response to fight back. It wasn't her fault he was calling her babies dumb. What if she called Hookfang something mean? Not that she would, (she loved the big red galoot) but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt him any less if she had.

"You're awfully touchy about something that doesn't even have a brain." He pouted.

The urge to say, ' _I'm_ your _friend right?_ '. But the words didn't bypass her lips. That would have been too mean, even if he did hit a soft spot within her. To even _think_ of saying something so rude wasn't something she was proud of. After all, he was (again) the nicest person within her generation, she didn't need to treat him the way the twins treated him. He went out of his way to offer his home and bed (though not without a few choice words), the least she could do was be polite.

Until he pushed her final buttons that is.

 _Why are you in such a bad mood? Usually you can take more 'abuse' than this._

It had to be because of the 'terrible awful'. The moment was still frozen in her mind and nagging at the back of her subconscious. No wonder she was feeling iffy…

"They're special to me." Rye said, her brows darting down over her eyes. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't say things like that." She managed to speak even through grinding her molars together.

"Whatever. It's not like they're really alive or anything, it's just a dumb plant. Oh well."

Did he always have to get the last word in?

"Anyway, let's get to dinner. I'm sure I could get that fancy cider to make things _special_." He clapped his hands together and a wide smile appeared on his face. "That should make us _both_ feel better."

Was there a polite way of saying she didn't like apple cider? To beat around the bush about it or to just come right out and say it? There was always the option of just drinking something she didn't like but then he would continue to offer it in the future. It'd probably be better to get it off her chest now, just in case she had to stay another night at his place.

"I'm not really fond of apple cider." She felt her eyebrows relax from their pervious angered look to now one of guilt. "Sorry."

"What?!"

"Um…"

"You _don't_ like cider?!" He was shouting at her now? For what? She hadn't done anything but be completely honest. "How are we supposed to have a romantic dinner if you don't like cider? It's the most romantic drink we have! Come on, just drink it."

Her nose crinkled. "Snot, I'm not going to drink something I don't like."

"Just this once?"

"No."

"Ugh!" He threw his large arms into the air. "Why do you have to be so picky about everything? I bet you aren't even gonna eat what my dad made for us, are you?"

What was _that_ all about? Her heart beat but in such a different way. Not because she was embarrassed by his constant flirting or by being put on the spot but because he was hurting her feelings. The rush of adrenaline to her veins made her arms feel more like noodles and jelly. It wasn't a feeling that she ever found herself enjoying. In fact it was something that she tried to avoid all together.

It made her feel way too much like she had that day with _him_.

"Hey, I'm not going to be forced to eat something I don't want to eat." She hissed, her teeth grinding together more than ever. "If I don't like cider, I'm not going to drink it and if I don't like your dad's cooking I'm not going to have that either."

"What are you trying to say about my dad's stew?" He barked in a voice louder than she would have appreciated.

" _Nothing_. I'm just saying—"

"I know it's not _Hea's_ cooking or anything but geez." His arms became bound to his wide chest while he shot her a rather mean set of daggers.

Now he was bringing _her sister_ into this? "Really Snot, let it go. I'll just drink water and I'll _try_ your dad's food. Relax."

"Fine."

This was going to be just peachy. Great. What a way to start off the night and to think she had the rest of the night to deal with all of this. Might as well get on with it, the sooner she finished her dinner the sooner she could get to bed. Although it would take a miracle to actually get some rest.

With a sigh and what seemed like more irritation than she'd seen in him in the longest time, she watched as he spun around on his heel and made a beeline for the basement door. Not hesitating she followed after him until the pair landed in the living and kitchen area. The smell of cooking sheep and some assorted vegetables made her stomach churn. When was the last time she got something decent to eat anyway?

"Wait just a second," Snot ran out in front of her with his palms facing forward. "And turn around; I don't want you to see just yet!"

Instead of saying anything further, Rye shrugged her shoulders and twirled away from the scene. Looking back at the path she'd just come from, she crossed her arms over her bust and listened to the clashing and clattering of plates and pots. What in the world was he doing?

She heard the faucet go off once or twice as well as the sound of flint scraping together. Okay? He wasn't actually setting up a special dinner for the two of them, was he? Oh geez, even after their small spat? Rye felt her bottom lip pull inward. Why did he insist on doing this? Even after she said 'no'. He couldn't want to impress her that much, right? After all, all he had was a simple school boy crush on her! It wasn't anything important or real!

" _Besides it's the least I could do for the girl Snot likes the most! He's gone through a number of crushes with the other girls but you're always been his_ favorite _."_

The low rumble of a sleeping Hookfang eased her nerves. She glanced to the left, being wary of keeping her eyes off what Snotlout was working on, to see the red dragon asleep by the fireplace. Up and down, in and out his belly inhaled and exhaled in a consistent pattern. Aw, he was so sweet when he was sleeping! When was he going to start kicking his legs like a dog, like Bug? She'd seen on several occasions Phobos chasing rabbits in her sleep, so it was obvious that dragons dreamt. What was something someone as big as Hookfang dream about? Chasing wild stallions?

 _Hehe._

"Okay, you can turn around now!"

Averting her eyes from the red lizard, Rye turned around to see her dinner already prepared for her. Two sets of bowls and spoons sat at the table while a small candle stood between them. The light from the tiny white candle did little to brighten the area and in fact the poor lighting of the kitchen are forced her to squint her already tired eyes. She lifted her index finger and thumb to her glasses frame and adjusted them.

To accompany their stew (or what she assumed was sheep's stew), was two glasses of water. He was drinking water too now? Why? Because she was maybe…

"Come and sit!" Snot ran around the right side of the small table made for father and son, and pulled back a chair for her.

Aw. "Thanks." She said her cheeks filling with blood.

Once within proper distance, she took her sit in the chair he had provided for her. When her backside landed on the wooden structure, he proceeded to shove her into the table. She tired her earnest to contain the impending 'oomph' that left her lungs as her gut was slammed against the heavy kitchen table.

"I already added salt and pepper to your stew," He said as he walked around, oblivious to the fact that her stomach contents (whatever was left from a late lunch anyway) almost made a reappearance on the table.

"Oh, thanks again." She said, eyeing the bubbling mess beneath her nose.

Rye gulped as she watched the fat separate from the broth of her soupy, stewy dinner. Poorly cut slices of meat rose then sunk from the top to the bottom of the deep bowl. Who prepared this meat? Didn't they know that one had to cut _against_ the grain of the meat?! Hell, even _she_ knew this! Equally sloppy cuts of potatoes all but descended away from sight, more than likely because they weren't cooked long enough. This…this would be entertaining.

"Eat up!" He cheered, now seated with his spoon in once hand.

"Right."

Plucking the spoon at her left, she looked on to see a crumpled piece of parchment beside her utensil. What was that? Maybe in his rush Snot had forgotten to pick up the last remaining bits of trash on the table. Oh well. Time to subject her taste buds to the slop in front of her. Resisting the urge to pinch her nose shut with her left hand, she dunked her spoon into her stew.

Before lifting the surprisingly heavy spoonful of soup between her lips, her eyes bounced across the table to see her dinner partner already diving into his meal. In his right hand sat his utensil while in his left sat a round white bread roll. Rolls? Moving her eyeballs away from her roomie, she glanced to the center of the table and beside the smaller, dying candle was the basket of bread.

He really went all out, huh?

She glanced back to Snotlout to see him devouring his food without any hesitation or look of disgust. That meant the food was good, right? Or at least edible. It'd be rude if she didn't at least _try_ Spitelout's stew. Although the thought of whatever food poisoning she might have to deal with later that night kept her lips clamped shut. It couldn't be _that_ bad right? At least _he_ was eating it right?

With a mental shrug, Rye moved the spoon closer to her mouth and slowly she peeled her lips backward. She shut a single eyelid as the mental instrument invaded her jaws. She ran the spoon over her upper set of teeth and lips, pouring the contents of the bowl onto her tongue. Pulling the utensil away from her mouth she placed the item back into the bowl as the flavors of her meal settled on her buds.

Before any other taste came forward, the taste of salt hit her senses and made her grimace. Her hand tickled and even physically shivered as the salt penetrated her tongue, gums and even the roof of her mouth. He said he added in salt for her but she didn't think that he used the entire container! Her eyes glanced back and forth and before she could realize what she was really doing; her fingers yanked a dinner roll out of the basket.

She tried to take a single enormous shark-sized bite out of the bread only to find her teeth hitting a brick-like surface. Was this bread even _fresh_?! It tasted as if it'd been out for weeks! Great stale bread on top of everything. But as long as it relieved some of the salt in her _face_ it couldn't be too bad. Using her entire tongue she pressed the roll against the top of her mouth, sandwiching the bread between her muscle and roof, easing the taste of salt…a _tad_.

Her eyes watered as if she were holding back tears, no doubt her cheeks were red as a pair of ripe tomatoes. The urge to pinch her nose still making her finger itch, she reached for the glass of water to her right instead. Making sure to wash the (stale) bread as well as the salt that coated her inner mouth, she took several chugs until her throat couldn't hold anymore.

"Good huh? Nice and chunky!"

There were _chunks_ in that stew?! All she tasted was over-salted broth! Did that mean she just _swallowed_ a mouth full of meat and potatoes? No, surely she just hovered the spoon over the fat/broth and scooped up liquid… _hopefully_. But that also meant she got a mouthful of separated fat as well.

 _I'm getting indigestion later. Guaranteed._

"Yeah." She suppressed a cough.

"But you've barely touched yours! You need some meat, go on eat!"

Try again or polite pass? Oh geez. From beneath her thick eyelashes she gazed over at Snotlout to see him with a wide smile on his face. With his spoon lifted as if to egg her on, he dipped his head a single time.

 _One more time. This time just_ try _the meat, you might actually like it._

She swirled her spoon in her bowl, which at this point seemed _way_ too deep, she took a second (this time around) hardy spoonful and lifted. Rye eyed the contents caught in the utensil only to see she'd grabbed a number of items. A piece of what looked like overcooked meat (there went the chances of salmonella poisoning), corn, a pathetic excuse for a potato chunk and a sliver of…carrot.

 _Cooked carrot._

Oh Thor, no. If there was one vegetable she couldn't _stand_ cooked it was _carrots_.

 _To eat or not to eat?! To be polite or rude?!_

Just _one_ bite wouldn't hurt too much would it? Who knew, maybe at this point in her young adult life, cooked carrots would have become a delicacy? Heaven knew she hadn't had a cooked carrot since her mother forced her to eat them. Perhaps her tastes had changed and matured?

 _Here goes nothing._

His eyes still locked on her she pushed the spoon between her lips and allowed the broth along with its contents to settle on her culture shocked tongue. Once again the taste of salt made its appearance first and forced her right eyelid to quiver. Her teeth went to quick work of chewing the meat and assorted veggies, the faster she chewed and swallowed the better!

Although the nurse chewed and chewed the deconstruction of her sheep's meat failed. Had she gotten a piece of fat or gristle or something?! It just seemed to turn into an inedible mush that sat at the back of her mouth. Ugh. Shifting around the objects that floated between her molars, she crunched down on the underdone potato chunk, corn then the _carrot_ slivers.

Yep, there were just as disgusting as she remembered. So much for her tastes maturing as she did.

Rye shut her eyes tight and swallowed. With the salt-ridden 'edibles' burnt their way down her throat-hole, she again reached for her glass of water. Avoiding the rock-like dinner roll this time around for the sake of her teeth, she drank what was remaining in her glass and made a physical gasp after all the liquid finished rolling down her gullet.

"You drink a lot of water," Snotlout's voice forced her eyes open. "You must pee a lot."

The urge to slam her head against the table was astounding.

"Is…is this how you eat every night?" She managed to speak even as her stomach flipped.

"Of course!" He replied with a bit more pride than he should. "Good eats, huh?"

Is this the reason why he always added salt to his meals when they ate as a group? Geez, the boy had to be dehydrated to some degree at this rate.

 _Oh Hea, I miss your cooking. I've taken it for granted again!_

"If you say so." Rye's eyes flickered down to her soupy stew once again. Could she muster another bite? Oh gosh. Just the thought made her nauseous. Not to mention she was too embarrassed to ask for more water at this point.

Perhaps if she removed the cooked carrots from the stew things would be a bit better? Hey it was worth a shot. Besides, he couldn't blame her right? It was something she legit didn't like.

The dragon doctor looked to her side to see the crumpled piece of parchment, ah the perfect device to hide her carrots in. She scooped up the paper with her right hand and undid the bundle it was wrapped in. Then with her heavy metal spoon she proceeded to pick the small slivers of carrots from her dinner.

Mid-scoop, the sound of him grunting forced her to look forward. "What are you doing?"

"Oh," Great, he was going to make a scene wasn't he? "I don't care for cooked carrots, that's all. I'm just taking them out."

"But carrots are the best vegetable of all time!" His jaw dropped as well as his spoon. "You can't _take them out_."

Yep, it was going to be a scene. "I like carrots, just not when their cooked. They make me gag."

"Even my dad's carrots?!"

Her heart sank. "I just don't like them, okay?"

"You can't even just eat them for _one_ meal? Plus you don't like apple cider? And _HEY_!"

"What?!" She jumped.

"You're using your fancy napkin to hold your trash!" He then threw his arm out toward her, his index finger drawing an invisible line toward her 'napkin'.

"This piece of paper, here?" She asked, lifting the parchment a tad. "I thought it was trash."

"I folded that especially for you!" His voice lifted as she shrank in size. "I should have _known_ better when you didn't put it in your lap, like I did!"

"It's a piece of _paper_ , Snotlout." A fire ignited in her belly and whether it was from the food she was _trying_ to digest or from the anger that had built up over a number of weeks, she wasn't sure. "Not a napkin."

"It's the best I could do on such short notice! It isn't _my_ fault!" He slammed his two fists on the wooden table beneath them.

"It's not about _fault_." Rye pouted. "And I didn't ask you to do this. You did on your own; I _told_ you I was fine with just an average dinner."

His mouth popped open, almost in shock. "That's just rude! First you _take_ my bed then you yell about at me about some stupid flowers then the carrots?! Do you want anything else your _highness_?"

"Wha?!" The older female dropped her spoon into the terrible stew below her. "And now you're being sarcastic? You're being a jerk, Snot."

"And you're a pain."

The recoil of his words hit her _hard_. Much harder than she had expected. Was it because it was so unexpected that he, Snotlout, would insult her or was it the fact that she was already wounded from the conversation she'd had earlier in the week with the one man who had stolen her heart?

 _Both, without a doubt._

Either way, she was done. D-o-n-e. She wasn't going to take anymore, she didn't have to sit and take his harsh words. She had freewill to get up and walk away. She wasn't arguing with her sister therefore she was not obligated to stay and work things out. Even if it meant she had to stay the night with the twins or even out in the fields with the sheep, anything was better than this.

"I'm not staying here." Rye shoved herself away from the table, the legs of the chair scrapping against the hard floor.

"Fine, go!" His arms crossed over his chest and he shot her a pout.

"Fine! I _am_!" Her body sprung out of her seat and with a quick whirl, she marched her way toward the front door. Her hands latched to the knob and with a sharp turn and pull, the frame popped open, "And by the way, your dad's cooking sucks!"

The fresh air hit her skin just as the door behind her slammed shut. The only warmth she could feel was the single tear that rolled down her left cheek. No, it couldn't be like this, not with Snotlout. Sure they weren't a pair or anything but he was one of the only males on the island she could really rely on to make her smile and laugh. And to have everything turn out like _this_?

Not after what happened with _him_. It wasn't fair! How could everything go so sour so quick?! Life wasn't supposed to be _this_ unfair. Things were too hard; life wasn't supposed to be easy but to have things like this happen? It wasn't _fucking fair_.

Why did she have to confess to _him_ like that a week ago? Only if she kept her secret to herself but now he _knew_ and the one memory she recalled as the 'terrible awful' was forever engraved in her brain.

Sure it didn't have much to do with the now but it was still _there_ ; in the back of her mind.

 _It's not_ fair _!_

The hardest part? To pretend it didn't happen, pretend it didn't hurt when it most defiantly _did._ To even hide it from Hea, her best friend and baby sister, was eating her up inside. To even see him every day and act like nothing ever happened when it had, was tearing her apart.

Could she even remain best friends with him and pretend that she didn't care? To _know_ that he _knew_ how she felt. How could _he_ smile at her when the truth was floating about in the air? Didn't he feel as awkward as she did? He had to. Did he think mean things about her when he looked into her eyes after her confession? What was he _thinking_ when they locked gazes or even spoke?

Did Gobber think poorly of her when she stood beside him?

" _You've been the only one I could count on, for a long time." She said with a nervous smile, her fingers laced in front of her body. "And it means a lot."_

" _Don't mention it! I know you're a good egg. You're from good stock." Gobber reached out to her and patted her left shoulder a single time._

 _The moment he touched her, her body sparked. Her eyes flickered to the point at which he touched her and she felt her face explode with heat. Oh Thor why did he have to make her whole body burst into flames when they touched? It wasn't even anything intimate or suggestive; it was something simple that made her almost jump out of her skin. She_ adored _it._

" _I…" She struggled to find words, her attention still on his lingering hand to her shoulder._

" _Is something wrong, Rye?" He asked as his smile vanished as well as the pressure to her body. "You seem a bit distracted. Something caught your interest?"_

 _Oh how she wanted to scream out that he had stolen her interest as well as her heart and soul. How long had she even_ felt _this way? Since she knew she could rely on him for_ anything _? Or maybe even from the day when he approached her with a pint of ale on the day she arrived on the island? When she was_ way _too young to drink let alone to have feelings for a man his age._

" _I really appreciate having you around, you know?" After taking a moment to clear her throat as well as her mind, her eyes made their way back to him. "I just want to make sure you knew that."_

" _Oh I know! I feel the same way, girlie. You're the one female I can tolerate when Stoick is busy doing his bit elsewhere. Don't know what I'd do without ya around. I'd be very bored, I know that for sure."_

 _Ugh! Why wasn't he getting the message?! She was trying to express her true feelings here, it couldn't be that hard to get, right?! Did she have to spell it out for him to understand what she was saying?_

" _I think…I would be lost without you." Her eyebrows flipped._

" _Aw," He cooed, tilting his head to one side. "You give me too much credit, Rye. Stop it with all that."_

" _I mean it. You mean a lot to me." Her heart cracked._

 _He paused. His silence almost_ hurt _her ears while the look on his face changed from humble to a look of confusion. His eyebrows furrowed at the top of his forehead and his lips parted in the slightest._

 _What he was about to say was going to hurt…wasn't it?_

" _What are you getting at, Rye?"_

 _Her eyes moved away from him, all the while her cheeks became swollen with blood. "What I'm saying is that I think I'm in love with you."_

 _Earsplitting, glass shattering silence filled the tiny area that was Gobber's home._

 _A heavy sigh caught her off guard. Without having any control, she looked to him once more. At this point his own eyes had moved away from her while a heavy frown crossed his features. His shoulders slumped shoulders and his good hand turned into a fist. For a short second he bit his bottom lip almost as if he thought this moment might come. Had he thought about this before…hadn't he?_

" _Rye, I understand what you're saying but…"_

 _But? But what? But_ what?

 _Another heavy sigh passed through his lips, this time his eyelids shutting tight. "I'm sorry."_

 _The sensation of something wet streaming down her face appeared before she could even think twice. Great, now she was crying? She couldn't be crying now! She had to wait until she was home to cry, she couldn't cry here…in front of_ him _._

" _I…"She found herself trying to speak but nothing legible formed on her tongue._

" _You're such a young sprout." He spoke again even as her entire body shuddered with fear. "You will find someone who cares about you, I swear. That's a Hairy Hooligan promise. But that person can't be me."_

 _The question 'why?' lingered in her mind but her throat refused to produce the actual word._

" _I care about ya Rye, I do. But not like this. Not the way you care for me and I'm sorry about that. I really am."_

What am I supposed to do now?

 _How was she supposed to function after this? How were_ they _going to get along after all of this happened? Could she even pretend to act like she didn't care? Pretend that he told her 'no'? How could the world go back to normal after something like this, it seemed so impossible right now._

 _Should she have held back her feelings? Was he in love with someone else? Was she too young? Was she unattractive in his eyes? Was she a nuisance to him?_

 _So many questions but she was too afraid to continue any further._

" _You never know, you know." His voice almost felt like dagger slicing her soul apart. "There might be someone meant for you closer than you think."_

 _But she didn't_ want _anyone else! The urge to stamp her foot to the ground and shout at the top of her lungs filled her mind but the lead feeling in her legs stopped her from moving._

" _I'm sorry." She wept, the tears falling faster after her eyelids came to a close. "I didn't…"_

 _The warmth of a pair of arms around her shoulders forced her eyes back open. Was he actually touching her? Hugging her? He kept his artificial arm away from her body as he squeezed her tight, his good arm closest to her back. His touch falling against her once more, she cried harder. Without much thought her own forearms shot up and grabbed at him, her fingertips gripping and nearly tearing at the fabric of his back._

 _Why couldn't it stay like this…forever? Why did she have to open her big yap? Why couldn't things be more simple? Why?_

 _Why indeed._

Not telling Hea about all this had to be the second hardest thing she'd ever done, or not done. How could she go to her _younger_ sister and complain about 'boys' at a time like this? When she was dealing with something even worse? And the worst part…she couldn't get that conversation out of her head and the fact that her sister was leaving in?

There were more important things happening and all she could think of was herself. How selfish could one pitiful person be?

And to pretend that she and Gobber were just as close like wanting to stay at his house and even pretending that she was having something secret with him in front of her sister to save face? Almost too difficult to bear.

" _We have more than enough alone time together! We're just really good and hiding it from everyone else."_

Lies. All lies.

" _Gimmie a night or two to clean up and you'll have the best bed in the house."_

More lies. Just an excuse to make things feel more real.

They both knew this.

A sudden barking sound caught the crying girl off guard. What a second, that sounded like Bug! What would Bug be doing out at an hour like this? There was no way she'd be alone, not with Hea in charge. Then again Hea _wasn't_ in charge anymore.

 _And that's what worries me._

Pushing back both tears and thoughts of the 'terrible awful' as well as her fight with Snotlout, Rye dashed forward even though her heart still ached. If something was going to distract her, it might as well be this. She needed something to take her mind off all the hurt and if Bug _was_ in some sort of danger, she had to be there to save her!

"Bug?" She called out through the darkness. " _Bug_?"

Running across a rather grassy hill, a blonde spot between the bushes and blades of grass caught her eye. Two extra silhouettes sat beside the smaller dog, almost as if they were watching over her. Wait, those two figures in the dark weren't strangers or even Dagur.

"Hiccup!" She called out, only stopping once within proper talking distance.

"Rye?" The boy turned on his heel to face her. "What are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Where's Snotlout…wait," The boy paused and leaned in closer to her, his eyes scanning her over. "Have you been crying?"

"What?" She blanched. "No, no way!"

"Rye?"

"It's nothing," She lied. "Snot and I just had a bit of a fight, it's nothing big."

"And you're crying about it?" He asked. "I'd say it was a big deal. What happened? Do you want to talk about it?"

"Like I said, it's not a big deal. He just tried to fix some fancy dinner for me and he messed it all up plus the food was terrible and…it's nothing really."

"Sounds like he wanted this night to be special. Then again he _does_ have a habit of making a mess of things. But I'm sure he had the best of intentions, right? He's not one to prepare something like that for just anyone." Hiccup broke into a small smile. "He really likes you."

"Wha? No, no! It's not like that."

The smaller boy cocked a brow, crossed his arms over his flat chest and leaned in. "Are you sure?"

"I mean he just prepared my food for me, added my spices for me, folded a fancy napkin…provided water _and_ dinner rolls for me…and all by candle light…"

Wait. He did _all of that_ just for _her_? Why hadn't she noticed it before? When it was happening? And that went without mentioning that he wanted to do more, like with the flowers. Why hadn't she noticed it before, that he wanted to go out of his way to make her feel special? Had she been so conceded and worried about her own problems to not notice all the trouble he had gone through…just for her?

Why did it take her saying it out loud to notice? Was it because she was so focused on the 'terrible awful'?

"Sounds romantic." Hiccup's voice sent shivers down her spine. "And you're crying because?"

"We fought."

"Oh?"

"Because I was…" Her tear ducts burned as if she was about to cry again. "I was being stupid. How could I be so rude and ungrateful?" A series of tears, as promised, rolled down her round and red cheeks.

"Well, you are stressed out. It's understandable. Take some time to relax and let it out. Then go back and apologize." He sighed, "We're all a bit stressed right now, I think."

"Yeah…"

"He'll get over it, I promise." The tone in the younger boy's voice lifted a tad; no doubt a smile had crossed his features. "He's kind of a numbskull but he gets it, you're stressed."

Rye lifted her wrist to her face and wiped away the fresh tears that had steamed down. If anyone was supposed to be mature and understanding, it was her! How could she be so insensitive and rude? After all Snotlout had gone to, offering his home to her and fixing a nice dinner and she just dismissed it as an annoyance! That wasn't who she was…was it?

Did he feel the way she had felt the day she confessed to Gobber? Like he was nothing, like he was worthless? And to think that _she_ made him feel that way. She couldn't stand it.

Did she still have time to fix it?

"I'm going to take Bug back to Hea's place."

She flinched. Oh…right about Bug. "What happened, why is she out here?"

"I'm pretty sure Dagur locked her out." Hiccup frowned, his attention moving down to the dog panting at his feet.

"That idiot." Rye felt her eyes roll. "Alright, let's get her back home then I have some unfinished business and dinner to attend to…I think."

"Right." He nodded, "Sounds good to me."

"By the way," Rye stopped only for a moment, "We keep the key under the mat, if you ever encounter something like this again, okay?"

"Oh, alright. That makes things a bit easier, I guess. We won't have to smash a window open." He shot her a smirk.

She giggled, great now she was laughing after all that she had gone through? Because of that shrimp too!? Now she _knew_ she was losing it.

XoXoX

This was it. This was the moment she went and poured out her heart and soul to Snot. Geez, to think she was in (almost) the exact predicament a few weeks ago with Gobber. One would think she'd be used to this kinda thing. Ah well, it never seemed to fail her nerves to speak her feelings.

Well, at least Bug was safe and sound inside the house with Hea (and unfortunately Dagur too). Seeing off the dog then Hiccup and Toothless was the easy part, now was when things were about to become real. What to say first? Just to come out and apologize or maybe strike up a different conversation that led up to it?

 _Why does this have to be so hard?_

In the end she was just sorry and that was it. She didn't _want_ to hurt his feelings, and to be perfectly honest he was the _last_ person she wanted to hurt, besides Hea of course. To let her truthfulness roll off her tongue seemed the best route anyway. Just to wing it and she _should_ be fine.

Rye walked around the home that was about twice the size of her own. Her feet hit the near frozen ground without a sound. Inhaling the chilly air and holding it tight in her chest, she turned the last corner to reach the home's entrance. Just as her eyes adjusted against the darkness, a crouching figure came into clear view.

Snotlout? What was he doing outside and _what_ was he doing crouched down on the cold floor? She took several more steps forward, until her socked feet squashed a frosted twig. The snap of the piece of wood made the boy flinch and sit up straight. He gathered himself after his attention landed on her and he stood up almost as if he'd been stung by a bee.

"Rye?"

Just as she was about to call his name in return, she took notice of something dark in his hands. The girl, who already had trouble seeing in the _daytime_ , squinted her eyes and found she was staring at a clump of dirt crumbling between his fingers. Dirt?

Looking even further, a small flower stood in the center if the soil pile. Had he taken the flower from the ground with its roots intact? What in the world for? His fingers had to be frozen solid from digging in the moist, damp nighttime soil. Why would he…?

"What are you doing?" She asked, her heart slamming in her chest.

"Oh this?" He gestured to the dirt in his hands by jerking his arms outward, "Nothing, you know just…digging in the dirt at two in the morning. The usual."

A smile appeared on her cheeks. Why did he have to be silly, even right now? It was obvious he was up to something and the fact that he was hiding it was almost…cute.

"Are you going to plant her somewhere else?"

"Huh?"

"Are you going to plant her somewhere else?" She repeated, taking a step or two forward. "She's going to need a place to stay that's warm. Plus space to grow. You have an idea?"

His eyes shifted away while a dusting of pink from his face lit up the night. "Well not to get mushy or anything but I kinda wanted to put it in the center of the table. You know, to maybe make our dinner special?"

Her heartstrings snapped. He was going out of his way to pluck a flower, the proper way, to make their meal something to be remembered? Even after the rude way she treated him? After she called his napkin trash and said his father's cooking was terrible? Even still?

The burning in her tear ducts made her bite her bottom lip. He didn't need to apologize for anything; after all, he was the one who wanted to make her feel comfortable.

 _Oh Snot._

"Okay, that sounds perfect." Beyond the tears threatening to fall, she moved closer to him.

"Really? You mean it?" His jaw dropped open wide, his fingers nearly losing grip of the dirt he held.

"Of course." She felt her features relax. "Everything's been perfect actually. I'm…I'm sorry that I haven't been able to see that until now. I've been selfish."

"Nah," He shook his head, a smile appearing on his mug. "Well, maybe not totally. Okay a little. You've been a _bit_ selfish."

Her heart _smiled_.

"A tiny, tiny bit."

"Alright, I get it." She reached forward, her right hand falling onto his shoulder. "Wanna go back inside and finish dinner?"

"I thought you said it sucked."

"It did." Rye allowed her fingers to contract around the muscle of his shoulder before she released. "But hey, we'll find something else to munch on, okay? Let's just get this little gal in a pot. I'm sure she needs somewhere warm to bloom."

"Oh," He tilted his chin down. "Yeah, I forgot about her."

Her chest tightened while the ends of her lips curled into a hearty smile. Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad. If things continued to go like this, this sweet, she could totally deal with it. And hey, maybe spending a second or even a third night with him wouldn't be so hard now that she knew what she was in for.

Things were looking hard, especially with Dagur in the village, but at least _this_ wouldn't be so bad.

 _Love comes in many different forms._

Things might not be the same ever again, in many ways, but there was more days like this to learn from. More days like this to _enjoy_.

Her heart still bore a huge hole from her fairly recent rejection, that was for sure but the pain had to subside sometime, right? At least if she had small moments like this, they would. She knew that for sure. Plus it wasn't like her and her first love couldn't be friends!

It might be a little different now but maybe learning his hard lesson was something she _needed_. After all, if she hadn't confessed to Gobber then she wouldn't have had the chip on her shoulder that lead to this fight. Then she'd miss out on this tiny moment… right now. It was all worth it, even if it hurt.

And maybe…just _maybe_ …Gobber was right.

" _There might be someone meant for you closer than you think."_

"Let's not keep this little lady waiting then! That's a rude thing to do, you know." Snotlout elevated the pile of dirt that supported the tiny daisy into the air. "Wait." He paused for a moment, looking her way. "How sure are you that this is a girl flower? How do you even check for the kinda thing? Does she have a—"

"I'll explain later," Rye stepped close enough to the boy to give him a single poke to the nose with her index finger. "Come on, let's get outta the cold."

"Whatever you say!"

So this wasn't to most awesome sleep over she'd ever had but it was by far the most memorable.

The End.

* * *

" _You took your time with the call; I took no time with the fall. You gave me nothing at all, but still, you're in my way. I beg, and borrow and steal. At first sight and it's real. I didn't know I would feel it, but it's in my way."_ Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen.


End file.
